Statewide: Surviving Gun Violence; Illinois' Teacher Crisis

Reporting on gun violence in Chicago primarily focuses only on those killed.  But shooting survivors often struggle to come to terms with what happened.  In some cases, it takes years to overcome the trauma.  Others never get past it.  A shooting survivor shares his story. 

Illinois was struggling to attract and keep teachers prior to last year.  The pandemic has made things worse.  We'll hear some possible solutions. 

And a journalist who covered the 1970 Illinois Constitutional Convention shares his thoughts on the work done more than 50 years ago and how it has held up through the years.  

That and more on this episode of Statewide.

Our lineup:

* More than 760 people died last year from gun violence in Chicago. Another 3,300 were wounded. We hear from a shooting survivor and how he's coping with what happened.

* Maureen McKinney discusses the marijuana industry with Erich Mauff, founder and co-president of Jushi Holdings.  The company operates medical and recreational marijuana dispensaries, including Beyond Hello stores in Normal and Sauget. 

* Lee Gaines with Illinois Newsroom has a conversation with the author of a new University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs report on challenges facing teachers. Assistant Professor Meghan Kessler also recommends specific actions to hire and retain quality educators.

* Peter Medlin speaks with Taylor Leach,  who is just starting her teaching career in the middle of a school year unlike any other.

* WNIJ's Connie Kuntz interviews Severson Dells Nature Center Naturalist and Environmental Educator Jessie Crow Mermel about the recent hoar frost and rime ice that occurred in some areas recently.

* Harvest Public Media's Chrstina Stella reports on a questionable future for the ethanol industry.

* Sean Crawford talks with professor emeritus and longtime journalist Charlie Wheeler about the 50th anniversary of Illinois' constitution. He covered the constitutional convention in 1970.

Listen to Statewide across Illinois in:

Bloomington/Normal – WGLT 89.1 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Carbondale – WSIU 91.9 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Mount Vernon - WVSI 88.9 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Olney - WUSI 90.3 (Fridays 2-3 p.m. and Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Rockford/DeKalb – WNIJ 89.5 (Saturdays 6-7 a.m., Sundays 2-3 p.m.)
Springfield/Decatur - WUIS 91.9 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 11 p.m. - Midnight, Saturdays 9-10 a.m.)
Peoria – WCBU 89.9 (Fridays 11a.m. -12 noon, Sundays 6-7 a.m.)
Pittsfield - WIPA 89.3 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 11 p.m. - Midnight, Saturdays 9-10 a.m.)
Quad Cities - WVIK HD2 (Fridays 11 a.m. - 12 noon)
Urbana/Champaign – WILL 580 (Fridays 11 a.m. - Noon, 7-8 p.m.)